An E. coli O157 outbreak in Canada is linked to romaine lettuce. There are no product recalls at this time associated with this outbreak. At least 21 people are sick in three provinces. The case count by province is: Quebec (3), New Brunswick (5), and Newfoundland and Labrador (13).
Ten of those patients have been hospitalized because their illness is so serious. All of these people got sick in middle and late November 2017. The patient age range is from 5 to 72. Most of the cases, 72%, are female. Many of these people reported eating romaine lettuce before their symptoms started.
A common source of E. coli O157 bacteria is raw fruits and vegetables. They can come into contact with feces from infected animals, in the fields, during harvest, and during transportation. Leafy greens … [Read more...]

The Public Health Agency of Canada is investigating an E. coli 0157:H7 outbreak that has now sickened at least 26 people. The outbreak is located in the Maritimes and Ontario and is associated with shredded lettuce produced by Freshpoint Inc. and sold at KFC and KFC-Taco Bell restaurants. The lettuce was not distributed to grocery stores.
A recall has been announced. The source of contamination has not been determined. The lettuce originally came from California. U.S. officials have been notified of this outbreak. Public health officials are investigating to see if food safety controls were followed at each step along the production and supply chain.
So far, there are six cases of E. coli 0157:H7 in New Brunswick, ten cases in Nova Scotia, and ten cases in Ontario. Most of those … [Read more...]

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is announcing a recall of Freshpoint Toronto shredded iceberg lettuce for possible E. coli 0157:H7 contamination. The product was packaged for use by Kentucky Fried Chicken and Taco Bell. There have been illnesses in the Maritimes and Ontario reported associated with this recalled product.
For KFC, 3/8" shred Iceberg/Romaine Blend (70/30) is recalled. The lettuce was packaged in 2 pound packages, 6 to a case. The Lot codes are 4941, 5011, 5021, 5031, 5041, 5051, 5121, 5131, 5141, 5151, and 5231, and the UPC number is 10883278082124. For Taco Bell, 1/4" shred iceberg lettuce is recalled. It was packaged in 2 pound packages, 10 to a case. The lot codes are 4941, 5011, 5021, 5031, 5041, 5051, 5111, 5121, 5131, 5141, and 5151, and the UPC number … [Read more...]

Fresh Express is recalling an expired produce product because one package tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes. Leafy Green Romaine Salad in 9 ounce size has a use-by date of September 16, 2012. The product should not be available in stores, but consumers may have the product in their homes.
The product has a code of I246A5BMG and was distributed in the Midwest and Eastern states of the United States. Fresh Express instructs its suppliers to remove expired salads from store shelves. If you do see this product on store shelves, tell the manager.
Listeria monocytogenes can cause serious illness and death, especially in those in high-risk groups, such as the elderly, the very young, and those with compromised immune systems. The symptoms include fever, headache, feeling like the … [Read more...]

The California Department of Public Health has published the retail distribution list for romaine lettuce being reccalled by Tanimura & Antle. The lettuce, which was recalled August 20 for possible contamination with E.coli 0157:H7 , was distributed to Wal-Mart, Safeway, Pak N Save and The Market stores throughout California.
The recalled lettuce was sold in plastic packages labeled "Tanimura & Antle Field Fresh Wrapped Single Head Romaine." The packages had the UPC number 0-27918-20314-9 and some had "Best Buy" dates of “08 19 12”.
A total of 2,095 cases of the potentially contaminated lettuce were distributed in the US and Canada between August 2. and August 19. Of those, 1,969 cases were shipped to the following states: AL, AR, AZ, CA, GA, KS, KY, MD, NC, NM, NV, NY, NJ, … [Read more...]

Two E.coli outbreaks were in the news this week: one because it was declared officially over by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the other because the likely source of the outbreak was revealed months after people became ill. The outbreaks, which together sickened dozens of people and claimed the life of one young girl, were caused by different strains of E. coli but they had one thing in common: while they were ongoing, officials weren't able to give consumers any food safety advice.
The outbreak that came to an official end this week began in April, sickened 18 people in nine states and took the life of a 21-month old girl from Louisiana. The outbreak was caused by the rare strain E. coli 0145. Most of those who were sickened live in the southeastern part of … [Read more...]